Local residents solve puzzles at library, museum

Around 35 local residents went on a code-breaking and puzzle-cracking adventure at the Vulcan Municipal Library and Vulcan and District Historical Society Museum and Archives last Friday.

“We want people to come into the museum and not just look around but get engaged in what is there,” said Bev Knutson-Shaw, director of education and outreach for the society.

People of all ages, from kids to seniors, checked out the “Escape from Vulcan Museum and Library.”

Each group of six people were given three different booklets of puzzles to solve, which led them through the museum and the library. The goal was to solve the puzzles faster than any of the other groups. As groups worked to solve the puzzles, they learned what was at the museum and library.

A professional from Calgary created the puzzles, and they were supposed to take people 90 minutes to complete. However, one group completed two booklets of puzzles within 20 minutes.

Connie Clement, manager of the library said the library got on board because “it’s the hip thing to do.”

“I think it’s neat to bring something new to town for people so they don’t have to travel,” she said.

The goal was to get people acquainted with the museum and the library.

“There might be people that have never come in and walked around or even seen the changes that we’ve made in the library,” Clement said.

“It’s really good exposure for people,” Knutson-Shaw added. “People get an opportunity to see the whole museum at a different view.”

These adventures are planned to be a fundraiser, but no one was charged Friday evening.

When funds do start to come in, the money will be used to create education materials for the museum, Knutson-Shaw said, with some of the educational materials being hands-on activities.

Clement said funds raised generally goes to maintaining the library’s collections and keeping materials up to date.

The next Escape from Vulcan Museum and Library event is planned for this Saturday, with others to follow.